CD Reviews

Brilliant!

Brianna Neal | USA | 01/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The charango is a tiny, ten-stringed guitar from Bolivia and Eddy Navia is a true master of the instrument, as well as a wonderful composer and arranger. His amazing dexterity and sense of fun are evident in all of the selections on "En Charango", a third of which he composed himself while the rest are mostly adaptations of traditional tunes. Rich, rippling, sparkling and light, the sound of the charango is delightful to hear, whether plucking out a sprightly melody or rapidly strumming an accompaniment. It's impossible not to smile when listening to it, especially when it's played as crisply and artistically as this. The adaptations of Mozart's "Turkish Rondo" (aka "Marca Turca") and Russian folk music ("Seleccion Musica Rusa") are especially fun, and the charango makes a darn good balalaika substitute! While Navia's colleagues from the group Sukay join him on this recording, along with a host of others, the sound of this album is very different from that group's other work. Here, the focus is squarely on Navia and his instrument, and deservedly so. Before joining Sukay, Navia was a founding member of Savia Andina, a ground-breaking band which helped to re-popularize traditional Andean folk music in South America. For more picking and strumming virtuosity, try Navia's other releases, with or without Sukay and Savia Andina. You might also like the work of Armik, the virtuoso Flamenco guitarist, in such albums as "Rosas del Amor"."